Main menu

Nissan offers one more spot for GT Academy at Comic-Con in San Diego

Nissan has already put some GT Academy winners on the podium. Photo by Nissan

Nissan and PlayStation are backing up their “Victory is Anyone's” claim in this year's GT Academy contest.

At this year's finals during Comic-Con in San Diego, the 32 finalists will have to compete against a dark horse, a 33rd driver who will win his or her spot at the event.

The GT Academy contest is a joint venture between the PlayStation 3 driving game Gran Turismo 5 and Nissan. Gamers turn hot laps online for a chance to win seat time in a real Nissan race car.

Anyone who meets the contest eligibility requirements can register at the Oasis Bar inside the Hard Rock Hotel in downtown San Diego on July 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and compete for top lap times in GT5. The person who clocks the fastest lap will win a HumanRacing GT Chassis with a Thrustmaster driving wheel and pedal set. More importantly, he or she will become “Racer X” and earn a chance to knock out one of the existing 32 finalists.

The 33 drivers will be divided into groups and compete head to head in GT5. Each participant will earn points, and the person who has the lowest score will drop out after each round. Once 16 players remain, the contest will move into phase two, where the would-be racers will get behind the wheel of a real race car. The winner will then train with a racing team, working toward seat time in a real race. Last year's winner, Bryan Heitkotter, landed two front-row starts and two top-10 finishes in three actual races. The 2008 winner, Lucas Ordóñez, has competed successfully with Nissan at Le Mans.

The on-track festivities will be documented by Spike TV for a reality show that will air in late 2012. Visit www.us.gran-turismo.com/us/ for eligibility and rules information.